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Christopher Tolkien

2008-04-25T19:41:57Z

71.205.226.188: /* Early life */

{{author infobox
| image=[[Image:Christopher Tolkien.jpg|250px]]
| name=Christopher Tolkien
| born=November 21st, [[1924]]
| died=
| education=
| occupation=Author, Professor
| location=England
| website=[http://www.tolkienestate.com TolkienEstate.com]
|}}
'''Christopher Reuel Tolkien''' (born November 21, 1924) is the third child and youngest son of [[J.R.R. Tolkien]] and [[Edith Tolkien]].

==Early life==
He was named after his father's friend, [[Christopher Wiseman]]. He also sometimes uses his confirmation name, "John" as seen on his initials of maps of [[The Lord of the Rings]], "CJRT". He was born in [[Leeds]] and raised in [[Oxford]] and went to the Dragon School in Oxford and Oratory School in Caversham, Berkshire. Due to a heart ailment he was forced to stay at home and work with a private tutor. He enjoyed watching stars with a telescope as well as a passion for railways. As early as four and five, Christopher was concerned with the consistency of [[The Hobbit]].
{{quote|Last time, you said Bilbo's front door was blue, and you said Thorin had a golden tassel on his hood, but you've just said that Bilbo's front door was green and that Thorin's hood was silver|Christopher Tolkien, foreword to The Hobbit}}

Christopher proved invaluable towards correcting The Hobbit and was paid twopence a correction.

==Young adulthood==
In July of 1943 he entered the Royal Air Force and in 1944 he went to South Africa to train as a pilot. His absence did not however slow his contributions to his father's works as his father continually sent him parts of The Lord of the Rings to go over. In 1945 he returned to England and was stationed in Shropshire and later that year he returned to Oxford. On October 9th, 1945 his father informed him that the [[Inklings]] wished to consider him a permanent member. The task of reading The Lord of the Rings to the Inklings was passed on to Christopher and it was generally agreed that he was a better reader than his father.

==Adulthood==
In 1946 Christopher returned to Trinity College to resume his studies and reading English. For a while his tutor was none other than [[C.S. Lewis]]. His thesis was a translation of ''The Saga of King Heidrek the Wise'' and he received his B.A. in [[1949]]. Christopher also became a lecturer in Old and Middle English as well as Old Icelandic at Oxford. He worked as an editor on Chaucer's ''Canterbury Tales,'' the ''Pardoner's Tale'', and the ''Nun's Priest's Tale''. From 1963 to 1975 he was a Fellow of New College, Oxford but resigned when he began to devote his time to his father's literary affairs.

==After his father's death==
[[Image:Christopher Tolkien (black and white).jpg|thumb]]
After his father's death, Christopher embarked on organizing the masses of his father's notes, some of them written on odd scraps of paper a half-century earlier. Much of the material was handwritten, frequently a fair draft was written over a half-erased first draft, and names of characters routinely changed between the beginning and end of the same draft. Deciphering this was an arduous task, and perhaps only someone with personal experience of J. R. R. and the evolution of his stories could have made any sense of it; even so, Christopher has admitted to having to occasionally guess at what his father intended.

With the help of [[Guy Gavriel Kay]] he managed to compile [[The Silmarillion]] in only four years. During this time he also edited his father's translations of [[Sir Gawain and the Green Knight]], and [[Sir Orfeo]]. He also worked on the [[Nomenclature of The Lord of the Rings]] which was first published in 1975 as [[Guide to the Names in The Lord of the Rings]] in [[A Tolkien Compass]].

Christopher spent the years after continuing to study his father's works and taking the responsibilities of the [[Tolkien Estate]]. He recorded portions of The Silmarillion in 1977 and 1978 which was issued by Caedmon Records, New York. In 1979 he wrote about his father's illustrations and drawings for their publication in Tolkien calendars and [[Pictures by J.R.R. Tolkien]]. Through 1980 and 1983 Christopher edited [[Unfinished Tales]], [[The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien]], [[The Monsters and the Critics|The Monsters and the Critics and Other Essays]], and [[The Book of Lost Tales Part 1]] which was the first volume in his twelve volume series of [[The History of Middle-earth]], the last of which was published in 1996. In 1998 he edited a new edition of [[Tree and Leaf]] including the poem [[Mythopoeia]]. His latest publication has been the editing of [[The Children of Húrin]] which was published in 2007.

==Response to adaptations==
{{quote|...I recognize that this is a debatable and complex question of art, and the suggestions that have been made that I 'disapprove' of the films, whatever their cinematic quality, even to the extent of thinking ill of those with whom I may differ, are wholly without foundation.|Christopher Tolkien}}

==Family==
Christopher's first wife, Faith (1928) took an English degree at Oxford and they had one son, [[Simon Tolkien]]. A bust of Tolkien by Faith was exhibited at the Royal Academy: Tolkien paid for its casting in bronze. It is now in the English Library in Oxford.

Christopher's second wife, Baillie (1941) is Canadian, and is the daughter of Winnipeg surgeon [[Alan Klass]], and Helen Klass (née Jacob). She has a BA in English from the University of Manitoba and an MA from Oxford. She worked as JRR Tolkien's secretary and was responsible for the section on poetry in the 1965 index to The Lord of the Rings. She later edited [[The Father Christmas Letters]]. She and Christopher have two children, [[Adam Tolkien]] and [[Rachel Tolkien]].

==Writings==
* Tolkien Hervarar Saga ok Heidreks Konungs. C.J.R. Tolkien (Oxford University, Trinity College). B. Litt. thesis. 1953/4. [Year uncertain]
* 'The Battle of the Goths and the Huns'. Christopher Tolkien, in Saga-Book (University College, London, for the Viking Society for Northern Research) 14, part 3 (1955-6), pp. [141]-63.
* Hervarar Saga ok Heidreks. Ed. [E.O.] G. Turville-Petre. London: University College London, for the Viking Society for Northern Research, 1956; introduction by Christopher Tolkien.
* The Pardoner's Tale. Geoffrey Chaucer, ed. Nevill Coghill and Christopher Tolkien. London: George G. Harrap, 1958. [29 Oct 58]
* The Nun's Priest's Tale. Geoffrey Chaucer, ed. Nevill Coghill and Christopher Tolkien. London: George G. Harrap, 1959. [28 Feb 60]
* The Saga of King Heidrek the Wise. Ed. and trans. Christopher Tolkien. London: Thomas Nelson & Sons (Icelandic Texts), 1960. [30 Jun 60]
* The Man of Law's Tale. Geoffrey Chaucer, ed. Nevill Coghill and Chris- topher Tolkien. London: George G. Harrap, 1969. [Jun 69]
* '[[Guide to the Names in The Lord of the Rings]]'. J.R.R. Tolkien, ed. Chris- topher Tolkien, in: A Tolkien Compass. Ed. Jared Lobdell, La Salle, Illinois: Open Court, 1975.
* Handwritten note by Christopher Tolkien, dated March 1974, introducing two pages of script by J.R.R. Tolkien, reproduced in: Les Aventures de Tom Bombadil. J.R.R. Tolkien, trad. Dashiell Hedayat. Paris: Christian Bourgois Editeur, 1975.
* Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Pearl and Sir Orfeo. Translated by J.R.R. Tolkien (ed. Christopher Tolkien.). London: George Allen & Unwin, 1975. [late Sep 75]
* [[The Lord of the Rings 1977 Calendar]]. London: George Allen & Unwin, 1976. Notes on the Pictures by Christopher Tolkien.
* [[The Father Christmas Letters]]. J.R.R. Tolkien, ed. Baillie Tolkien. London: George Allen & Unwin, 1976. [2 Sep 76]
* Catalogue of an Exhibition of Drawings by J.R.R. Tolkien at the Ashmolean Museum Oxford ... Oxford: The Ashmolean Museum, 1976. Introduction by Baillie Tolkien. [?14 Dec 76]
* [[The Silmarillion Calendar 1978]]. London: George Allen & Unwin, 1977. Notes on the Pictures by Christopher Tolkien.
* [[The Silmarillion]]. J.R.R. Tolkien, ed. Christopher Tolkien. London: George Allen & Unwin, 1977. [15 Sep 77]
* 'The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien: A brief account of the book and its making'. Christopher Tolkien. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1977; rptd. Mallorn 14, 1980, pp. 3-5, 7-8.
* J.R.R. Tolkien: The Silmarillion: Of Beren and Luthien, read by Christopher Tolkien. New York: Caedmon Records TC1564, 1977. Sleeve notes by Chris- topher Tolkien. (Sleeve also has photo of CT.)
* J.R.R. Tolkien: Of the Darkening of Valinor, and Of the Flight of the Noldor, from The Silmarillion, read by Christopher Tolkien. New York: Caedmon Records TC 1579, 1978. Sleeve notes by Christopher Tolkien. (Sleeve also has photo of CT.)
* [[J.R.R. Tolkien Calendar 1979]]. London: George Allen & Unwin, 1978. Notes on the Pictures by Christopher Tolkien.
* Map of Beleriand and the Lands to the North [poster]. London: George Allen & Unwin, 1978. As drawn by Christopher Tolkien for The Silmarillion, with colouring by H.E. Riddett.
* [[Pictures by J.R.R. Tolkien]]. Foreword and Notes by Christopher Tolkien. London: George Allen & Unwin, 1979; revised edition, London: Harper- Collins, 1992. [1 Nov 79]
* Letter from Christopher Tolkien to Jared Lobdell, 21 June 1974, reproduced in: Eorclanstanar [Precious Stones] or The Hobbitiana: an offering of rarities by J.R.R. Tolkien [catalogue]. Melissa and Mark Hime [booksellers]. Idyllwild, California: 1980.
* [[Unfinished Tales of Numenor and Middle-earth]]. J.R.R. Tolkien, ed. Christopher Tolkien. London: George Allen & Unwin, London, 1980. [2 Oct 80]
* [[Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien]]. Ed. Humphrey Carpenter with the assistance of Christopher Tolkien. London: George Allen & Unwin, 1981. [20 Aug 81]
* 'The Tengwar Numerals'. Christopher Tolkien ('CRT after JRRT'), in Quettar 13, Feb. 1982, pp. 8-9; rptd. Beyond Bree Dec. 1984, p. 1. Further, untitled, explanation of Tengwar numerals by Christopher Tolkien ('CRT after JRRT 10 March 1982'), in Quettar 14, May 1982, pp. 6-7.
* [[The Monsters and the Critics and Other Essays]]. J.R.R. Tolkien, ed. Christopher Tolkien. London: George Allen & Unwin, 1983. [3 Mar 83]
* '...Future Publishing'. Christopher Tolkien, in Amon Hen 63, August 1983, p. 4; rptd. as 'Statement by Christopher Tolkien' in Beyond Bree, November 1983, p. 2.
* [[The Book of Lost Tales 1]]. J.R.R. Tolkien, ed. Christopher Tolkien. London: George Allen & Unwin, 1983. [27 Oct 83]
* [[The Book of Lost Tales 2]]. J.R.R. Tolkien, ed. Christopher Tolkien. London: George Allen & Unwin, 1984. [16 Aug 84]
* '"Moria Gate" ... Another Look'. Christopher Tolkien, in Amon Hen 70, November 1984, p.3.
* [[The Lays of Beleriand]]. J.R.R. Tolkien, ed. Christopher Tolkien. London: George Allen & Unwin, 1985. [22 Aug 85]
* 'Notes on the Differences in editions of The Hobbit cited by Mr. David Cofield'. Christopher Tolkien, in Beyond Bree, July 1986, pp. 1-3.
* [[The Shaping of Middle-earth]]. J.R.R. Tolkien, ed. Christopher Tolkien. London: George Allen & Unwin, 1986. [21 Aug 86]
* [[The Hobbit]]. J.R.R. Tolkien. London: Unwin Hyman, 1987; fiftieth anniversary edition, with Foreword by Chrostopher Tolkien.
* [[The Lost Road and Other Writings]]. J.R.R. Tolkien, ed. Christopher Tolkien. London: Unwin Hyman, 1987. [27 Aug 87]
* [[The BBC Pronunciation Guide to The Lord of the Rings]]. Nancy Martsch, in Beyond Bree, August 1988, pp. 1-2. [About the transcription of Christopher Tolkien's recording of words and names in The Lord of the Rings for the BBC production by Brian Sibley.]
* [[Tree and Leaf]]. J.R.R. Tolkien. London: George Allen & Unwin, 1964; second edition, subtitled 'including the poem Mythopoeia'. Introduction by Christopher Tolkien. London: Unwin Hyman, 1988. [25 Aug 88]
* [[The Return of the Shadow]]. Christopher Tolkien. London: Unwin Hyman, 1988. [25 Aug 88]
* [[The Treason of Isengard]]. Christopher Tolkien. London: Unwin Hyman, 1989. [7 Sep 89]
* [[The War of the Ring]]. Christopher Tolkien. London: Unwin Hyman, 1990. [Sep 90]
* [[Sauron Defeated]]. J.R.R. Tolkien, ed. Christopher Tolkien. London: Harper- Collins, 1992. [6 Jan 92]
* [[Morgoth's Ring]]. J.R.R. Tolkien, ed. Christopher Tolkien. London: Harper- Collins, 1993.
* [[The War of the Jewels]]. J.R.R. Tolkien, ed. Christopher Tolkien. London: HarperCollins, 1994.
* [[The Peoples of Middle-earth]]. J.R.R. Tolkien, ed. Christopher Tolkien. London: HarperCollins, 1996.
* [[The Children of Húrin]]. J.R.R. Tolkien, ed. Christopher Tolkien. London: HarperCollins, 2007.

==See also==
* [[:Category:Books by Christopher Tolkien|Books by Christopher Tolkien]]
* [[:Category:Images of Christopher Tolkien|Images of Christopher Tolkien]]

==External links==
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/film/1697884.stm Christopher denies disapproving of Peter Jackson's films]
* [http://tolkiennews.net/article.php?story=20061005151054723 Christopher Tolkien's Lawyer Speaks]

[[Category:Tolkien Family]]
[[Category:Authors]]

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The Children of Húrin

2008-04-25T16:55:41Z

71.205.226.188: /* Audiobook edition */

{{book|
title=The Children of Húrin|
image=[[Image:The Children of Hurin cover.jpg|225px]]|
author=[[J.R.R. Tolkien]], [[Christopher Tolkien]], with illustrations by [[Alan Lee]]|
isbn=0618894640|
publisher=[[HarperCollins]], [[Houghton Mifflin]]|
date=April 17th, 2007|
format=Hardcover|
pages= 320|
amazon=http://www.amazon.com/Children-Hurin-J-R-R-Tolkien/dp/0618894640|
amazonprice=$17.16
}}

'''The Children of Húrin''' was released on April 17th of 2007, it is the culmination of 12 years of development work by [[Christopher Tolkien]]. Working on unfinished material written by his father, he has pieced together a single narrative with minimal editorial presence. It includes 8 new color plates and 25 new black and white illustrations by [[Alan Lee]].

==Contents==
* Preface (7)
* Introduction (13)
* Note on Pronunciation (28)
* Narn I Chîn Húrin (31)
* The Tale of the Children of Húrin
::# [[The Childhood of Túrin]] (33)
::# [[The Battle of Unnumbered Tears]] (52)
::# [[The Words of Húrin and Morgoth]] (61)
::# [[The Departure of Túrin]] (66)
::# [[Túrin in Doriath]] (80)
::# [[Túrin among the Outlaws]] (98)
::# [[Of Mîm the Dwarf]] (121)
::# [[The Land of Bow and Helm]] (141)
::# [[The Death of Beleg]] (151)
::# [[Túrin in Nargothrond]] (159)
::# [[The Fall of Nargothrond]] (171)
::# [[The Return of Túrin to Dor-lómin]] (182)
::# [[The Coming of Túrin into Brethil]] (192)
::# [[The Journey of Morwen and Niënor to Nargothrond]] (198)
::# [[Niënor in Brethil]] (213)
::# [[The Coming of Glaurung]] (221)
::# [[The Death of Glaurung]] (234)
::# [[The Death of Túrin]] (248)
* Tables 261
* Genealogies:
::# The House of Hador & the People of Haleth (262)
::# The House of Bëor (263)
::# The Princes of the Noldor (264)
* Appendix (265)
::# The Evolution of the Great Tales (267)
::# The Composition of the Text (281)
* List of Names (291)
* Note on the map (319)

==Publication==
*The Children of Húrin was first announced on September 18th, 2006. It was published on April 16, 2007 by [[Houghton Mifflin]] in the United States, and [[HarperCollins]] in the UK / Canada.

*A HarperCollins Deluxe edition was simultaneously released with the hardback edition.

*A Houghton Mifflin Deluxe edition was released a month later, on May 16, 2007. A second impression has already been made as the first 10,00 books sold out before the original release date of Apr. 16th, 2007. A third impression is also underway.

*Houghton Mifflin has increased its printing run from 250,000 up to 625,000.

*HarperCollins increased its printing run from 250,000 to a total of 360,000

*The Children of Húrin became the #1 Bestseller on the NYTimes Top Ten List (Fiction - Hardcover) for the week of May 6, 2007.

==Press Release==

'''Date:''' Mon, 18 Sep 2006

'''J.R.R. TOLKIEN'S THE CHILDREN OF HÚRIN TO BE PUBLISHED IN 2007'''

Houghton Mifflin has acquired US rights to publish the first complete book by J.R.R. Tolkien since the posthumous Silmarillion in 1977. HarperCollins UK acquired the project from The Tolkien Estate in a world rights deal. Presented for the first time as a fully continuous and standalone story, the epic tale of The Children of Húrin will reunite fans of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings with Elves and Men, dragons and Dwarves, and the rich landscape and characters unique to Tolkien.

The Children of Húrin, begun in 1918, was one of three "Great Tales" J.R.R. Tolkien worked on throughout his life, though he never realized his ambition to see it published. Though familiar to many fans from extracts and references within other Tolkien books, it has long been assumed that the story would forever remain an "unfinished tale". Now reconstructed by Christopher Tolkien, painstakingly editing together the complete work from his father's many drafts, this book is the culmination of a tireless thirty-year endeavor by him to bring J.R.R. Tolkien's vast body of unpublished work to a wide audience.

Christopher Tolkien said: "''It has seemed to me for a long time that there was a good case for presenting my father's long version of the legend of the Children of Húrin as an independent work, between its own covers, with a minimum of editorial presence, and above all in continuous narrative without gaps or interruptions, if this could be done without distortion or invention, despite the unfinished state in which he left some parts of it.''"

[[Image:Alan Lee - Beleg Departs Menegroth.jpg|150px|thumb|left|''Beleg Departs Menegroth'' by [[Alan Lee]].]]
Having drawn the distinctive maps for the original The Lord of the Rings more than 50 years ago, Christopher has also created a detailed new map for this book. In addition, it will include a jacket and color paintings by Alan Lee, illustrator of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings Centenary Edition and Oscar ® -winning designer of the film trilogy.

The Lord of the Rings was already acclaimed worldwide as the most popular book of the 20th Century before the blockbuster films in 2001-3 broke new ground and inspired millions more to read J.R.R. Tolkien's books -- an additional 50 million copies were sold, leaving new fans wanting more. The Children of Húrin will be published by [[HarperCollins]] UK in April 2007, and on the same day in the United
States by [[Houghton Mifflin]].

[[Image:Children-of-hurin-deluxe-edition-w-stamp.jpg |thumb|right|The Deluxe Edition]]
Victoria Barnsley, CEO and Publisher of HarperCollins Publishers UK said: "''This epic story of adventure, tragedy, fellowship and heroism stands as one of the finest expressions of J.R.R. Tolkien's skills as a storyteller. With a narrative as dramatic and powerful as anything contained within The Lord of the Rings , it can now be read and enjoyed as Tolkien originally intended, and will doubtless be a revelation for millions of fans around the world.'''"

Janet Silver, Vice President and Publisher of Houghton Mifflin, said, "''As J.R.R. Tolkien's original American publisher, dating back to The Hobbit, we are extremely proud to be bringing this project to Tolkien's devoted readership in the United States. Christopher Tolkien has done a great service in realizing his father's vision for The Children of Húrin.''"

==Audiobook edition==
An unabridged audio recording of The Children of Húrin read by [[Christopher Lee]] was released in November 2007. Lee spent five days in the studio recording the book for HarperCollins.[http://christopherleeweb.com/node/73?s=2fe5c0abd7a86ace5f51d633fba86a37&] The audiobook also features [[Christopher Tolkien]] reading his preface and introduction to the story.

==See also==
* [[The Children of Húrin Signed Limited Edition]]
* [[The Children of Húrin: Deluxe Edition]]
* [[The Children of Húrin Release Party]]
* [[The Children of Húrin reviews]]
* [[:Category:Images of The Children of Húrin|Images of The Children of Húrin]]

==External links==
* [http://www.tolkienlibrary.com/press/Children-of-Hurin-FAQ.htm Children of Húrin FAQ]
* [http://www.lotrplaza.com/archive5/display_topic_threads.asp?ForumID=24&TopicID=207607 Discussion at LotRPlaza.com]
* [http://wormtalk.blogspot.com/2006/09/j.html Blog post by Michael Drout]
* [http://www.tolkienlibrary.com/press/childrenofhurin.htm Article on TolkienLibrary.com]
* [http://www.harpercollins.ca:80/global_scripts/product_catalog/book_xml.asp?isbn=0007246226 News Release at HarperCollins.ca]
* [http://www.bitu.com/tolkien/tolkien-trailer.html The Children of Húrin Trailer US Edition]
* [http://tolkien.hcp-uk.co.uk/thechildrenofhurin.aspx The Children of Húrin Trailer]
* [http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/feature.html/ref=amb_link_40925765_1/202-4391387-4644660?ie=UTF8&docId=1000064113&pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_s=special-offers-1&pf_rd_r=0GT0FB0WME2MCPMCJ9XP&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_p=137498491&pf_rd_i=0007252234 Amazon.co.uk "The Childhood of Túrin"]

==Purchase==
'''Regular edition'''
* [http://www.amazon.com/Children-Hurin-J-R-R-Tolkien/dp/0618894640/sr=8-1/qid=1170968587/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/105-2987979-0667618?ie=UTF8&s=books Amazon.com]
* [http://www.amazon.co.uk/Children-Hurin-Christopher-Tolkien/dp/0007246226 Amazon.co.uk]
* [http://www.amazon.ca/Children-Hurin-J-R-R-Tolkien/dp/0007246226/sr=11-1/qid=1170986155/ref=sr_11_1/702-1711121-9420851 Amazon.ca]
*[http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbninquiry.asp?isbn=0618894640&z=y Barnes and Noble]

'''All editions (Book search - New/Used)'''
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[[Category:Books|Children of Húrin]]
[[Category:Books by J.R.R. Tolkien|Children of Húrin]]
[[Category:Books by Christopher Tolkien|Children of Húrin]]
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[[fi:The Children of Húrin]]

The Hobbit (1977 film)

2008-04-25T13:54:42Z

71.205.226.188: /* Critical Reaction */

{{cleanup}}
[[Image:Rankin-Bass The Hobbit.jpg|thumb|[[Rankin/Bass]] adaptation of ''[[The Hobbit]]'']]
''[[The Hobbit]]'' was adapted into an animated television movie by [[Rankin/Bass]] Productions in 1977. It manages to retell most of the story within its 77 minute span. An LP with the soundtrack and dialog from the movie was also released in 1977 --- ironically, by Disney, through its Buena Vista Records label, although, by popular demand, an edited version, along with accompanying "storyteller read-alongs," was later issued for the Mouse Factory's [[Disneyland Records]] imprint.

The story's hero [[Bilbo Baggins]] was voiced by [[Orson Bean]], backed up by [[John Huston]] as the voice of [[Gandalf]]. [[Otto Preminger]] was the voice of [[Thranduil|the Elvenking]], [[Richard Boone]] grumbled the Dragon [[Smaug]], [[Cyril Ritchard]] spoke for [[Elrond]], [[Hans Conried]] voiced [[Thorin Oakenshield]], and [[Brother Theodore]] was chosen for the voice of [[Gollum]]. Rankin-Bass icon [[Paul Frees]] co-starred as Bombur; [[Don Messick]] portrayed Dori and Balin; [[John Stephenson]] was the charming and proud archer Bard; and they and Jack DeLeon supplied the voices of the other members of Thorin's Company. The film was produced and directed by [[Arthur Rankin Jr.]] and [[Jules Bass]] and adapted for the screen by [[Romeo Muller]]; with Rankin taking on the additional duties of production designer, and Bass adapting some of Tolkien's original lyrics, as well as contributing, along with [[Maury Laws]], an original theme song, "The Greatest Adventure (The Ballad of the Hobbit)," sung by [[Glenn Yarbrough]].

The same team, along with Bean, Huston, Theodore, Frees and Messick, returned for the 1980 adaption of ''[[Rankin/Bass' The Return of the King|The Return of the King]]''.

== Critical Reaction ==
The movie was first broadcast on NBC in the United States, on November 27, 1977, and was tailored to children: the story was done in a very light-hearted style, and featured a lot of songs (most of which came from book). Much of the story was simplified and several key parts are omitted.

The art is both praised and criticized. Some reviewers regard it as a strong point of the movie. Inaccuracies in the depictions draws a lot of criticism from Tolkien fans: Gandalf has a hood instead of a hat, despite clearly being described in the book; Gollum looks like some sort of frog-creature (though the book does describe his large eyes and webbed feet); Elrond has a beard despite the book outright saying that Elves do not have beards; the [[Wood-elves]], rather than being the "fair folk," are even uglier than the goblins (and the [[Elvenking]] has a thick German accent for some reason); Smaug is extremely hairy for being a [[Dragons|dragon]].

In 1978, NBC, Romeo Muller won a Peabody Award for his teleplay for ''The Hobbit''. The movie was also nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, but lost to ''Star Wars''.

== Changes to the Story ==
While the movie is quite faithful to the story, it is at its core still a child-oriented musical adaptation, and therefore not a perfect adaptation of Tolkien's novel. Most of the changes are found as omissions rather than modifications of the plot.

In the movie:

# All the Dwarves show up with Gandalf all at once in the film rather than coming in groups the day after Gandalf meets Bilbo and puts a mark on his door.
# The company leaves Bilbo's house on ponies, but after that the ponies are not seen until they are lost in crossing the [[Misty Mountains]]. In the book, the company rode ponies from Bag End to Rivendell.
# Bilbo is noticed by the Trolls as he sneaks up to steal some meat rather than disclosed by the Troll's "talking" purse.
# The Dwarves flee in terror from the Trolls and are picked up one at a time instead of walking blindly into the camp and being ambushed (except for Thorin, who puts up a fight).
# Gandalf apparently has the power to make the dawn come earlier and dispatching the Trolls rather than tricking the Trolls by throwing his voice.
# The Troll cave does not have a locked door like in the book.
# Gandalf gives Thorin the Map of Thror and the key in the troll cave rather than back at Bag End.
# Up in the mountains, there are no stone giants playing games amidst the storm.
# Gandalf is missing in the cave when the goblins emerge, rather than sleeping when it happens. The Dwarves run into the tunnel rather than being grabbed.
# The Dwarves do not fight the goblins in the tunnel.
# Bilbo specifically asked Gollum what he has in his pocket rather than muttering it aloud to himself. Gollum does not even try to guess instead of demanding three guesses. Only four riddles are said in the movie (there were ten in the book).
# Bilbo pulls the ring out of his pocket after Gollum says he's looking for his "golden ring, magical ring".
# Bilbo has no trouble getting out the back door (no goblins to sneak by or tight spots to fit through).
# Rather than meet the Wargs in the forest, the goblins come with them, riding on them and wielding torches (despite the Wargs' fear of fire in the book).
# The Great Eagles do not take the company to their eyries, but to the edge of [[Mirkwood]], bypassing [[Beorn]] (who does not appears in the movie).
# The incident at the enchanted river, including [[Bombur]]'s magical sleep, is omitted.
# The feasts of the Wood-elves are omitted (yet are referred to when the Wood-elves capture the Dwarves).
# Bilbo has to fight and kill only four spiders rather than dozens and dozens. Bilbo's sword, [[Sting]], always glows in the movie regardless of whether goblins are nearby or not.
# Thorin is captured with the other Dwarves by the spiders and then the Wood-elves.
# There is no stop over from the journey via barrels from the Wood-elves' castle to [[Lake-town]].
# There is no Master in Laketown; [[Bard the Bowman|Bard]] the guardsman runs the city.
# The company does not make camp at the base of the mountain.
# Balin does not go with Bilbo into the secret entrance.
# Bilbo has only one audience with Smaug and the thrush is present. Bilbo orders the thrush to seek Bard to tell him of Smaug's weakness.
# The [[Arkenstone]] and all that goes with it is omitted.
# Roäc the raven is omitted. In the book, the ravens tell the Dwarves that Smaug is slain and is sent to [[Dáin II Ironfoot|Dain]] to call for assistance. In the movie, the Dwarves wait, lost inside the Lonely Mountain for a week and it is never explained why Dain arrives at such an opportune moment.
# The company discovers the two armies coming when they are on the doorstep rather than being warned in advance.
# Thorin and the dwarves plan a suicidal last stand against the elves and men in a pitched battle outside the mountain and are pleasantly surprised when Dain's army arrives.
# Ravenhill is not mentioned.
# The armies in the Battle of the Five Armies are divided differently (Bilbo counts the Goblins and Wargs as one army, the Eagles are counted as a separate army).
# The Battle of the Five Armies happens differently: notably, Beorn is not there.
# In the book, only Thorin, Kili, and Fili die from the battle, leaving 10 dwarves still alive. In the movie, Thorin, Bombur, and five other unnamed dwarves are killed. (In fact, Bombur was one of the few Dwarves in the quest known to be still alive in the days of ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]''.)
# Most of the return journey, including winter at Beorn's home, a stop at Rivendell, and digging up gold they buried by the troll camp, is omitted.
# The auction back at Bag End is omitted.
# Balin and Gandalf's visit, years later, is omitted.

== External Links ==
* [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077687/ IMDb Summary]
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[[Category:Films]]